Piano hammer sander



March 31, 1964 w. L. HERRMANN 3,126,677

PIANO HAMMER SANDER Filed Aug. 29, 1960 INVENTOR WILLIAM L. HERRMAIIN Ws W United, States Patent F 3,126,677 PIANO HAMMER SANDER William L. Herrrnann, 3650 Myrtle Road, Rte. 1, Port Huron, Mich. Filed Aug. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 52,616 1 Claim. (Cl. 51-185) This invention relates to the sanding art, and more particularly, to a novel piano hammer sanding apparatus.

In the process of tuning a piano, it is sometimes necessary to sand the lower end of certain piano hammers. The bottom edge of a piano hammer must be sanded square with the sides thereof so that the hammer will simultaneously accurately strike at least a pair of piano strings or wires for sounding a note. It is important that the lower edge of a piano hammer be made square with the sides of the same, and the sanding device of the present invention is adapted to assist a piano tuner in forming the lower end of a piano hammer with the desired square relationship. The sanding device of the present invention is especially adapted for use by a blind piano tuner of which there are many in the trade.

In view of the foregoing, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a sanding device by means of which a person can sand the lower end of a piano hammer so as to make the same square with relation to the sides of the hammer and to carry out this operation in a fast and efiicient manner.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a piano hammer sanding device which comprises a pair of spaced apart parallel guide walls between which a piano hammer may be guided into sanding engagement with a sanding means disposed adjacent the bottom of the walls so as to provide a square lower end on the piano hammer.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a piano hammer sanding device which is simple and compact in construction, economical of manufacture, easy to use and efiicient in operation.

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and appended claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts of the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a conventional piano hammer;

FIG. 2 is a right side view of the piano hammer shown in FIG. 1, taken in the direction of the arrow marked 2;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a piano sanding device made in accordance with the principle of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a right end elevational view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 3 taken along the line 44 thereof and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 3, taken along the line 55 thereof and looking in the direction of the arrows; and,

FIG. 6 is an elevational sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 5 taken along the lines 66 thereof and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof 3,126,677 Patented Mar. 31., 1964 'ice show a piano hammer of the type adapted to be sanded by the present invention. The numeral 10 designates the body of the hammer which is in the form of an elongated piece of wood which is substantially square in cross section. Mounted on the lower end of the hammer body 10 is a felt piano wire striking member 11 which has a substantially lower rounded end. As shown in FIG. 2, the lowest part of the felt striking member 11 is formed square, as indicated by the numeral 12 relative to the sides 13 and 14 of the piano hammer. The piano hammer is adapted in use to be moved upwardly and downwardly in a direction parallel to the sides 13 and 14, so that the square end 12 may simultaneously strike at least two piano wires to make a note in the conventional manner. Many of the present day piano tuners are blind and when repairing a piano, they must sand the lower edge 12 of the hammer by means of touch. The device of the present invention would aid such blind piano tuners in that they would be able to sand the lower edge 12 of a piano hammer in a quick and more efficient manner.

As shown in FIGS. 4 through 6, the device of the present invention comprises a pair of laterally spaced apart vertical guide walls or members 15 and 16, which are provided with the upper half-round edges 17 and 18, respectively. The inner surfaces of the guide walls 15 and 16 are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of the piano hammer to be sanded, whereby a piano hammer may be disposed between the walls and slid backwardly and forwardly between the Walls and with a rocking action as shown by the arrows in FIG. 6.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the guide walls 15 and 16 are mounted on the base portion 19 which may be formed separately or integrally with the guide walls, as desired. The guide walls 15 and 16 and the base portion 19 may be made from any suitable material as a plastic material, lightweight metal, or the like. As best seen in FIG. 4, a longitudinally extended inwardly directed recess as 29 and 21 is formed in each of the inner surfaces of the guide walls 15 and 16 along the lower edge thereof. A sanding means as 22 in the form of a strip is slidably mounted over the top surface 23 of the base 19 for sanding engagement with the lower edge 12 of the piano hammer. The side edges of the sanding means 22 extend into the recesses 20 and 21 whereby the sanding means is retained in sliding engagement against the base portion face 23. The recesses 20 and 21 act as a track or guide means for the sanding means 22.

It will be seen that when the piano hammer is moved backwardly and forwardly with a rocking action as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 6, the lower edge 12 of the felt portion 11 will be sanded square with the sides 13 and 14 of the piano hammer in a quick and easy manner. Experience has shown that the present invention is a practical and useful tool for a piano tuner.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claim.

What I claim is:

A sanding device for sanding the felt striking end of a piano hammer square with relation to the vertical sides of the hammer, comprising: a horizontal base portion; a pair of laterally spaced apart parallel surfaced guide members mounted on said base portion and extended up Wardly vertically therefrom; each of said guide members being provided with a longitudinally extended recess on the lower inner edge thereof and over the entire length thereof; a strip of sanding material slidably mounted along the upper surface of the horizontal base portion for longitudinal movement thereover between the pair of spaced apart guide members and having the side edges thereof slidably mounted in said recesses and having an upper surface disposed at right angles to the inner sides of said guide members for sanding the lower edge of References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 522,994 Lynch July 17, 1894 721,843 Stepzinski Mar. 3, 1903 1,628,791 Krook May 17, 1927 2,054,495 Corkum Sept. 15, 1936 

